An excellent article on the growing need for android phones with guaranteed software updates straight from Google. Whilst I can't describe myself as an android power-user, I definitely prefer the basic vanilla android installation to any of the customisations provided by phone manufacturers. There's no doubt that they provide extra features, but in my mind they are mostly redundant considering the plethora of specialist options available on the android market, ready for download. I'd prefer to see a basic vanilla android installation with a selection of apps cherry-picked and pre-installed. However, there is one exception being the basic Nokia camera customisations for Windows phone, as well as their application 'Here', which show some promise.

Whilst I admire the build quality and sheer precision of my iphone 5, I lament the demise of Meego and also the purity of Nokia's original vision. Whilst the Lumia 800 is to most people a carbon copy of the original N9, the concessions made were strikingly large to a phone designer and enthusiast. The overal product footprint of the Lumia 800 remained the same as the N9 despite having a considerably small screen (the N9 has a 4" screen, the same as the iphone 5) and the windows icons added clutter to a very simple and elegant front read, with very poor icon positioning (making use of a short touch layer). Let's hope that Sailfish OS will live up to expectations without Nokia's keen guidance.click here for the review

ZTE is coordinating with Mozilla to release a handset running Firefox OS in the first quarter of next year. The Wall Street Journal and Reuters both report that ZTE is looking to diversify its product portfolio to shift reliance away from Android and Windows Phone. According to ZTE spokesperson David Dai Shu, the company is working with "a regional telecom carrier outside of China." It’s unclear exactly who ZTE is referring to, but Mozilla has previously announced partnerships with carriers such as Sprint, Telefónica and Deutsche Telekom.The Verge